Show-case supporter and card-holder



' (No Model.)

G. G. FRYE.

SHOW GASE SUPPORTER AND CARD HOLDER. No. 399,256. Patented Mar. 12, 1889.

Witnesses Inflentor wwfi m 4; W-m. i f

UNrrnn Srarns PATENT @rrrcni GEORGE C. FRYE, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

SHOW-CASE SUPPORTER AND CARD-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,256, dated March 12, 1889.

Application filed November 21, 1888. erial No. 291,501. (No model.)

To all 2071072?- z'z may concern:

Be it known that 1, GEORGE FRYE, of Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Show-Case Supporter and Card-Holder; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,wl1ich will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked there on, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for converting boxes containing cigars, candies, or other articles of merchandise into show-cases and for holding advertising or price cards. It is designed for use with boxes whose covers are wider than the depth of the boxes.

It consists of a single piece of wire bent in the manner as hereinafter described, forming a clamping part projecting downward on either side of the box and its cover, which has been turned back, and holding the cover thus turned back against the side of the box, and a card-holding part extending upward over the box to hold the card.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing box, clamp, and card when in use; Fig. 2, a sectional view of liig. 1 on line so as, and Fig. 3 a

perspective view of the combined clamp and card holder.

Same lcticrs refer to like parts. Hy invention may be thus described: A box, a, having a cover, 11, hinged at one side by any hinge, c, which will allow the cover to fold back against the side of the box, is to be used with my invention. Combined with a box thus made is aclamp formed of asingle piece of malleable Sp11'ing\vire,the ends folded back upon themselves, as shown in Fig. 3, to form the sides (Z d of the jaws, which inclose the side of the box and cover and hold them firmly together, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the middle part bent into one or more loops, 8, of two or more coils each, as shown in Fig. 3, said loops having their coils close together, so as to hold between the coils thereof a card, Boxes containing fancy articles can thus by means of this simple device he made to stand firmly at an angle suited to display the contents to the best advantage. This is particularly convenient for use on show-cases and counters, there being no tendency to slide down, as is the case when boxes have their edges resting on some independent support or against the wall. At the same time the card-holder presents a price or advertising card above and at the back side of the box. The combined clamp and card-holder being made of malleable metal enables it by bending to be readily adjusted to tit covers of different thicknesses and to display the card at any desired angle.

My invention is equally applicable to all that class of boxes the covers of which are not hinged, but shut down over the box. \Vhen the cover is placed in the position shown by the hinged cover in l, the side of the cover would overhang the top of the box as much as the width of the side of the cover. I therefore make Sllltlll holes through the side of the cover close up to the top, through which the part cl or cl, as the case may be, of the clamp passes.

It will be plain that the side of the box and the top of the cover are thus held firmly together and the box thus supported in an. inclined position similar to that shown in Fig. 1.

The end of 61 may be pointed, and the inner faces of (Z and (l "may be serrated to give them greater frictional or holding power i. a, the parts of the metal that press againstihc sides of the box and cover, respectively.

Having thus described my inven ti on and its nsc,whatl claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is"

1. The combination, with a box having a cover wider than the depth of the box, of acombined case-supporter and card-holder composed of a single piece of metal having its ends bent to form clamping-jaws to hold the cover against the side of the box and its middle bent into a coil to hold a card, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with a box. or case having a hinged cover wider than the depth of the case, of the herein-described case-sup porter and card-holder, composed of a single piece of metal lmving its ends bent to form the sides of a clamp to hold the hinged cover against the side of the case and its middle bent into a coil to hold a price or advertising card, substantially as and for the purposes hereinhe'fore set forth.

The combination, with a case having a 5 ooverwider than the depth of the case, of acombined oase-supporter and card holder made of a single piece of metal, its middle bent into a coil and its ends bent to form jaws to engage the edges of the box or case, one

extremity of each j aw being pointed, substan- Io tia-ll'y as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature in presence of v two witnesses.

GEORGE C. FRYE.

Witnesses:

ELGIN C. VERRILL, A. G. CHASE. 

